The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-07


of success to bud and blossom. Audiences be-
gan to increase and courage to return Our
gatherings for prayer grew larger and larger,
and have never lost, but steadily gained IN in
terest and increase of spiritual power through
every year since. From the very first hour of
its existence there had always been debt upon
the building. Looking the his
tory of the society l find
made at different dates to clear this off. Some
of them were unsuccessful; some we're partially
successful; none OF them were fully successful
SO that. beside considerable floating debt,
found mortgage of $12, 900 upon the ed6ce.
At my request and most promptly, as a free-will
offering, every dollar of Indebtedness
liouidated. After that, when 1 solicited you for
means to put the house in complete repair, you
gave, first and last, upward of 1000. and did
it cheerfuly! So that to-day, You have
said yourselves. it is as "fair to look upon and
as comfortable for use' would ask-as
good new-and to the eye, perhaps, better.
too.
During these years of our labors together we
have been SO befriended by those who have come
to the support of the old church that each year
has closed with an easy treasury, and year after
year the books have closed with balance in
hand and mo liabilities" There cases
where a balance in hand has been reported with
out the statement of mo liabilities signif-
cant omission! By the favor Of providence,
without increasing our pew rents-the tax rate
on them being per cent less than before my
pastorate-and without the help of few wealthy
people paying for more than one pew, and with
out raising purse of hundreds and thousands
of dollars to make up deficiencies at the end of
the years, are allowed now to close our ac
| counts together, leaving very comfortably
large surplus in the treasury. And all this we
attribute to the good hand of our God upon
us" during these years We have had no aim
higher than to honor Him. We have preached
what believed and have believed what we
preached; unmoved by any drift around us and
undismayed by an outside plot of jealously using
the tongues of dilhgent SANDER which once
would have fain disturbed our harmony and
stopped our success. Steadily pursuing the pur
pose of our calling, and keeping my covenant
with you in preaching what you understood an
evangelical Congregational pastor is pledged
to preach. without evasion or iudi-
rection, or the trick of using words
in double sense, have continued until this
day; and God has honored us in all WAYS Be-
side the material evidences of his favor the spir
itual life of the church indicates the same. In
these years of my pastorate over 600 new mem
bers nave united with the church, an average of
over sixty each year. And on this last day Of
our service and sacrament together thirty more
new names are to be added to our roll, twenty
eight of them entering by profession of their
faith in Christ Surely God has honored US
greatly, while we have all too lmperfectly tried
to honor him.
Called now, as think by His voice. to assume
greatly enlarged responsibilities to the of a
church of Z. 300 members, having on its Sunday
school rolls the names of 5000 scholars, as
much shrink from Its vastnesS as ten years ago
trembled at the sight of the vacancies here If
| ever / needed your prayers l feel the need of
them now. These last weeks Of our life together
have been so happy and holy that their utter
| ances and acts will remain with me while memory
lasts, al loving benediction Distance will
separate us in person, but never in sympathy.
Let me affectionately urge you to stand together
| in that cordial cooperation which has been so
| long enjoyed. Keep the faith. brethren, you
have kept it here for so long; the old faith which
our fathers toiled and sacrificed much TO
| transmit Give this pulpit to no minister that
| is liable to be turned about with every wind of
doctrine" And when you shall have committed
| il to the care of whom you are led to trust,
| may it never occur that he or any of his sue
cessors In Office will turn theological somer-
| saut out of the creed which the pastor and the
deacons must sign into some fanciful fetch up
| of his fabrication, or fashionable spe lula
| ton of a passing hour. Come now, we are to
! the parting hour, more solidly united, if posi-
| BILE, than ever we have been, there is no utter
/ ance that / make quote that better fits
| my feelings than the priestly benediction OF
| Aaron, which let me pronounce on you each
| 1.-The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The LORD
| make His face to shine upon thee and be era
cious unto thee. The Lord lift up the light Of
i His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.